The Devon FA Health & Wellbeing Strategy is a new strategy for 2024, with a focus on supporting the Devon Football Family across physical, social, psychological & mental health factors.

The Devon FA and it’s membership of staff, board, council, players, coaches, referees, volunteers, parents and spectators can all play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of individuals lives and collective community wellbeing.

This new strategy will develop new programmes, training and support programmes though working with health partners such as the NHS and Talkworks. This will include Mental Health 1^st Aid Training, Mental Health Champions across the 4 geographical areas in Devon and Club Mental Health Action Plans.

Rod Hawker, Devon FA Community Engagement Director, has been instrumental in the development of the new strategy and shared his thoughts on it’s importance:

“It has been my pleasure to have been invited to assist in the development of this very first ‘Health & Wellbeing Strategy’ on behalf of the Devon FA. In the first instance, the Strategy attempts to draw attention to the fact that there are significant health and social inequalities throughout the Devon. Many people throughout the County are experiencing unhappy lives and many more facing premature death as a result of either lifestyle or environmental issues. These include people from YOUR club community, and may well include members of YOUR own Club. These are our neighbours. Secondly, it offers reflections on a potential role for the world of football in its response to those health and social inequalities - most especially in and around the community in which the Club exists.  Despite being a sporting and leisure centred activity, the opportunities that exist for football to serve its local community are limitless. I commend all those Clubs who are already providing for their communities. Some, we know, have already set up food banks, warm places for winter use, clothes banks, meeting places for older-age people, etc. but we believe there will always be room for more across the County. I look forward to supporting Devon FA with the development of the Health & Wellbeing Strategy to support the Devon Football Family.

There will be further information throughout 2024 on the health & wellbeing strategy including the champion roles and training.

view the strategy document here

For further information or questions on the strategy, please contact Ashley Harris, Devon FA Football Development Officer (Inclusion lead) by email (ashley.harris@devonfa.com) or phone (01626 323560)